Butternut Squash Pasta

It’s true, no white sauce has been used here, its vegan, healthy and still tasty as it can be! Pasta at its best! This creamy Mushroom Alfredo Pasta is made with Butternut Squash sauce. I am yet to meet someone who doesn’t like pasta. It has become a universally popular dish today like Pizza. People love it across all ages. There are so many varieties you can make with the sauce and the pasta. The possibilities are endless.

Until I started blogging, I only knew of pasta being made in white/red/pesto sauce. It had never really occurred to me to try a variant in sauce. My first experiment was when I made Pink Spaghetti and I loved it. That sure was fun. I have made Regular Vegetable Pasta Salad as well. However some months ago when I made Vegan Pasta with Almond Butter Sauce, I realized that one can do so many variations with the sauces. Almond butter sauce was too good. It bought a nutty flavor to the dish which I loved. Since then I have been wanting to experiment more and try out a new kind of sauce.

Why Butternut squash you may ask. Well simply because when I told my husband to get me some butternut squash from the grocery store to make some soup. He got me 2 of this! I know we all have been there and completely relate to husbands and grocery shopping. 😉 Nothing wrong with this you may say like he did. But I just needed the chopped ones from the store which are hassle free and less in quantity. What do I do with 2 of these? I thought one I will use one to make soup and was thinking of some creative ways to use the other. Plus I had never cooked with this vegetable before. So it was a challenge for me.

While browsing for recipes and looking for ideas, I came across this recipe – Creamy Butternut Squash Alfredo Pasta by Joyfulhealthyeats.com.

She has made a non vegetarian version of this using bacon. I liked the thought behind it and decided to tweak it a bit to use it for my benefit and tasting. So thanks to Jollyfulhealthyeats for this idea! We loved it. The recipe I have is vegan until you use the Parmesan cheese. Butternut brings in a slightly sweet taste to the sauce. Hence I had to add more red pepper flakes to bring up the spice quotient.

In my last visit to the whole foods store, I had picked up this pasta. It was a prompt buy. I was very intrigued by it. Its made from Edamame and Mung Bean.

It couldn’t get any more nutritious and protein rich than this! This Fettuccine has a faint greenish color to it. I am sure this would attract kids as well. But then, everyone loves colorful pasta. 🙂 Once cooked it looks like this.

I planned to make creamy Mushroom Alfredo Pasta using Butternut Squash sauce. Because for me, Mushrooms and Pasta go hand in hand. Even when I order in a restaurant, all my Fettuccine Alfredo come with finely chopped mushrooms toppings. Simply love the taste. Let me share the detailed recipe with you. To make this pasta totally vegan, add vegan cheese and substitute regular milk with soy milk.

Ingredients

2 cups chopped butternut squash

1 onion cut in chunks

4-5 garlic cloves

1 tsp pepper powder

2-3 tbsp red pepper flakes

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

100 gms mushroom

1 tbsp garlic powder

2-3 tbsp butter

1 packet Pasta as desired

1-2 tbsp Parmesan cheese

Salt

Method

Cook the pasta as per the instructions on the packet. Let it cool in a strainer. Drizzle some olive oil over it to prevent it from sticking up.

In a pan,melt 1 tbsp butter, saute the garlic and onions till they show streaks of charring.

Now add the butternut squash cubes, salt and 1/2 cup water. Cover with a lid and let the squash cook till it becomes tender.

Now turn off the gas and let this mixture cool.

Once cool, grind it along with milk to make a smooth, creamy paste.

In the same pan that you used before, add the remaining butter and melt it. Now add the mushrooms, garlic powder, red pepper flakes and salt. Saute the mushrooms till they are cooked.

Once they are done, add the cilantro and mix it.

Add the freshly grounded sauce to this.

Check and add salt, pepper flakes as required. Also sprinkle the Parmesan cheese and lightly give it a mix.

While serving, add a spoonful of pasta in the serving dish, pour some of this sauce over it. Garnish it with some cilantro, cheese and pepper flakes. Your Butternut Squash Pasta is now ready!

It is so worth it by the end. Me and KR fell in love with this pasta. It had a perfect blend of sweetness and spices to give it a restaurant feel. Do give it a try once and let me know how it was. I would love to hear from you. Share your food pics with me or tag them to #cookiliciousveg. Seasons Greetings to all my readers. Happy cooking!